President Trump is planning to nominate L. Brent Bozell III, a conservative media critic and fierce defender of Israel, according to Congress' website.
Bozel was previously appointed to lead a US global media agency, but that nomination was withdrawn on Monday, according to the Congress website.
Bozel's name was one of several names submitted to the Senate Tuesday for various ambassador posts. The State Department declined to comment.
Bozel, who must be confirmed in the Senate, will step into that role at the worst in recent memory of South Africa's relationship with the US. The Trump administration recently ousted a South African ambassador to the United States after criticising Trump in a webinar.
The Trump administration criticized the South African government for its close ties with Iran and its harsh stance on Israel.
It was not immediately clear whether Bozel had any connections to South Africa. He is the founder and president of Media Research Centre, a watchdog group that targets network television hosts and mainstream media outlets following accusations of liberal bias. Bozel, a former Trump critic, is firmly on his corner. His son, Leo Brent Bozel IV, is one of nearly 1,600 people convicted and sentenced on January 6, 2021, and was pardoned by Trump after an attack on Capitol.
Bozel is a voice supporter of the Israeli government. After Hamas attacked Israel in October 2023, Bozel announced the appeal of Israeli fundraising on the Centre's website, saying that he had made an exception, saying, “This is an emergency.”
“Israel is fighting for its very existence,” he wrote.
The Trump administration has also accused South Africa of discriminating against the white minority population. Last month, Trump issued an executive order halting all American aid to South Africa, providing refugee status to Africans, a white minority who once led the apartheid government.
Born in South Africa, Elon Musk frequently posts messages to X, a light par of the South African government, falsely claiming there was a mass murder of white farmers. He also argues that his satellite business, Starlink, is not permitted to operate in South Africa because he is not black. (The country requires foreign companies to provide shares owned to members of historically disadvantaged groups.)
South African officials are surprised by the attacks from Trump, Musk and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who say they are based on misinformation.
